10 Things You Need to Know as you start your Wednesday

By The Associated Press

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Here are 10 Things You Need to Know as you start your Wednesday:

1. WHAT THE CANDIDATES WANT FROM TONIGHT'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. The key for Obama is to sit on his narrow lead without mishap, while Romney's challenge is to shake up the race and connect with voters, AP's Jim Kuhnhenn reports.

2. 'GO FIGURE,' MICHELLE SAYS AS DEBATE FALLS ON THE OBAMAS' 20th ANNIVERSARY. The president will share the stage with Romney, rather than the first lady, at 9 p.m. But at least she'll be close by in the audience.

3. WHY THE U.S. IS HAVING A BABY BUST. The weak economy has dampened enthusiasm for having children, experts say, explaining four straight years of declining birth rates.

4. WHO THE REAL TARGETS BECAME IN POST-9/11 INTEL EFFORT. A Senate report says the program to gather data on terrorists was actually used for ordinary local crime fighting - at a cost of $1.4 billion.

5. U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS MEXICAN POLICE 'AMBUSHED' EMBASSY CAR. Two CIA officers were wounded in what may have been a targeted assassination attempt orchestrated by a drug cartel.

6. MIKE TYSON KNOCKED OUT OF NEW ZEALAND. The country's indigenous Maori people inspired the boxer's facial tattoo, but authorities still canceled his visa for a speaking tour.

7. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS MAY NOT BE WHAT THEY SEEM. Twenty percent of weight loss and immune-boosting supplements examined in a government report made illegal claims on their labels.

8. A RARE VICTORY AGAINST ONLINE PIRACY. Coca-Cola and Samsung pulled advertising from Zing.vn, a Vietnamese website notorious for providing unlicensed music downloads.

9. ADAM GREENBERG GETS SECOND CHANCE AT THE BIG LEAGUE. He struck out at his debut with the Marlins, seven years after he was beaned by the first pitch he saw, but said of the rousing applause: "It was magical."

10. HOW A TV ANCHORWOMAN FOUGHT BACK AGAINST 'CRUEL WORDS'. Jennifer Livingston responded on air to a viewer who criticized her weight, and told children "Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies."